Fussy Irish setter puppy

Question
We have an Irish red setter puppy (11 wks). She comes from a good breeder, who took them for inoculations, deworming, etc. so she's healthy. First of all she wouldn't eat the "puppy stew" (made with beef and chicken mince, rice and small amount of veg) that she was eating for the last few weeks at the breeder's. She ate it the first evening with us, but after that wouldn't touch it. I thought that maybe it's because she got so sick in the car on the way home? I put raw mince on top (that worked for a day), I tried powdered dried red meat and that worked for a day, but eventually she refused to eat it. She was crazy about the dry puppy pellets/kibble with milk though! So I kept her on that. She will eat sticks, stones, tree bark, etc. outside in the garden but won't eat the puppy stew?

After a while I stopped giving the milk (I've read and heard that it's not good for dogs) so I just gave her dry pellets which she was more than happy with! However, sometimes she will leave more than half the pellets uneaten, even though her ribs are starting to show! I take her food bowl away after 20 to 30 min even if she hasn't finished. I have been feeding her the same amount of the pellets that she's been getting since 8wks old and she should start eating more, but she doesn't always finish her food. She is fed Eukanuba puppy for large breeds, so it's a good enough quality food. I have also given her 3 tsp Hills Science diet canned puppy food with her breakfast and supper and then she tends to eat most of the pellets. Her pellet ration is split into 4 equal size meals per day and she's very active and drinks enough water.

The 2nd or 3rd evening with us (8 1/2 wks old) she had a bit of a runny tummy (probably just from stress). On Monday I gave her a fatty rawhide and the next day she had a very runny tummy. It was dark, slightly slimy and very watery. I skipped her 4pm meal and I gave her a small cooked sweet-potato (which she loved) and then a few pellets with sticky rice and chicken. The tummy was sorted and she loved the food and even ate the dry pellets on their own again the next meal. This afternoon however, she didn't even finish half her pellets? She will eat the dry pellets like sweeties if I feed them from my hands, but won't eat them out of the bowl? She is clearly just being fussy and I would normally not have bothered, but this habit keeps recurring.

I think it's more of a behaviour issue and I'm not sure how to fix it? Any advice would be much appreciated!

[Please visit http://www.whynot-have-a-go.blogspot.com  if you need any more info or pictures]

Thanx!

Answer
Very nice blog.

I think most fussy eater problems are best solved by feeding less.  It is rare for a healthy dog not to eat all it needs, although in some cases that means the ribs showing slightly.  I have raised a couple of puppies that like to show off their ribs.  

I didn't think she looked too bad in the blog pictures.  One very important question is what the vet has had to say.  If the vet thinks she is on the lean side, but still healthy, then leaving well enough alone may be the best course of action.  If the vet feels she too thin, then he needs to look into possible health problems leading to it.  

Check http://www.longliveyourdog.com/twoplus/RateYourDog.aspx  The advice there is assuming the dog will eat enough to maintain ideal condition.  Some dogs won't.  It is very common with Shepherds, Great Danes, and Great Danes.  I even knew one case where a lady carried a note from her vet to keep the RSPCA off her back when she took her Salulki out.  I looked at a picture of an Irish Setter in a book.  I though it looked on the lean side.  

It may be the best thing is to forget the stew, canned Hill's, etc.  Relax, feed her what she will eat in 20 minutes of the Eukanuba, and if her ribs show a little, don't worry about it.  Being tense yourself will transfer to her, and can lead to eating problems.